Digital Wager Wire highlights the most significant events affecting the domestic and international sports betting and gaming industries each week throughout the year.
Atlantic City Casinos Hit Jackpot With Best July Since 2012
Although much has been made of tourism slipping in Sin City, the gambling mecca’s East Coast competition flourished in July 2026. The Boardwalk’s nine casinos reported a combined $304.2 million in revenue from retail slots and table games. That figure represents a 7.1% year-over-year increase from last year’s $284.1 million and was the best July in 14 years.
“At the peak of summer, Atlantic City’s casino operators realized the best single month of brick-and-mortar gross revenue since August 2025 and the second-highest such return in more than a decade,” said Brian Tyrrell, director of Stockton University’s Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism, which studies the Atlantic City gambling market.
“A fire and flood in the early morning hours of July 27 that resulted in the one-day closure of Ocean Casino Resort could have negatively impacted revenues for the month. However, Ocean and the industry overall seem to have taken the disruption in stride,” he added.
Borgata was the Boardwalk leader, racking up $81.6 million in casino wins, up 2.1% from July 2025, while Caesars showed the highest year-over-year increase, up 34.6 percent to $25.3 million in revenue. Bally’s, currently embroiled in financial turmoil, was the only casino to reflect a downward trend, as its revenue fell nearly 14% to 12.2 million.
New Jersey’s online gaming growth continued to soar, reaching a record $276.9 million in revenue, which was a 12% spike from $247.3 million last July.
Although the July picture paints a rosy portrait, the looming specter of New York’s three downstate casino projects could have deleterious effects in a few years when all are operating, as expected.
A Promising First Month for Alberta Gaming
PlayAlberta is no longer the only mobile sports betting and iGaming option in the province after the July 13th launch of private operators in both sectors. The shift was designed to increase gambling activity and thus facilitate more revenue for Alberta. However, it was also crafted to steer gamblers away from gray market sites and towards the province’s licensed gaming platforms.
“We’re not here to grow iGaming in Alberta. We’re here to provide protection for Albertans who choose to participate as a form of entertainment,” said Alberta iGaming Corp. CEO Dan Keene.
After collecting a month’s worth of data – so far, so good.
“This first month has been encouraging. We won’t get everything perfect right away. But each step forward, no matter how small, will be taken with the utmost pride and intent, keeping the betterment of Alberta in mind – now and into the future,” noted Keene.
“Our job is to conduct and manage a strong regulated market. The foundation has been laid. Now, we must uphold it and continually improve upon it,” he added.
There are currently 27 brands operating in the Alberta gaming market, with several others holding licenses but having yet to go live. Many of them are waiting for the market to shake out and reveal what has and has not been working.
Despite the positive start, Keene remains cautiously optimistic and is poised to tinker with the regulations if he believes improvements can be made.
“Moving forward, we’ll learn what’s working well,” Keene said. “We’ll identify where Albertans may need greater clarity and where there may be opportunities to strengthen our approach – because good regulation evolves with the market it governs.”
